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AstraZeneca suspends all clinical trials on the coronavirus vaccine it is developing with the University of Oxford after one of the participants accused a possible serious adverse reaction. The temporary stoppage allows the pharmaceutical giant to examine the case and review the safety data. “Our standard test review process caused a pause,” says an AstraZeneca spokesperson.
“This is a routine action that occurs whenever there is a possible unexplained reaction to one of the tests,” allowing time to “investigate and ensure the integrity of the testing process is maintained,” adds AStraZeneca. “In broader tests, reactions can occur by chance but must be carefully evaluated independently,” adds the pharmaceutical giant, which with the announcement of the suspension drops 6% on Wall Street in after-hours operations. A suspension is not unusual for clinical trials. But the development of the coronavirus vaccine is one of the most watched in history, and any signs that emerge from the tests have been scrutinized.
Even if the AstraZeneca vaccine is eventually approved, this setback could translate into usage concerns. Data from initial trials looked very promising, with the vaccine capable of producing a robust immune response and only weak side effects.
AstraZeneca’s shutdown comes in the ongoing heated debate over a possible politicization of the vaccine, especially in the United States, where Donald Trump is pushing it ahead of the November elections amid doubts from experts. Not least those of Anthony Fauci, the American super-expert on infectious diseases, according to whom it is unlikely that a vaccine will be ready by the end of the year.
